The Painting
by PrimulaBrandybuck
Summary: Joey, a young women of our time suffering from a broken heart, is stumbled upon by a man who claims to be Legolas Greenleaf! Joey doesn't believe him but goes on an adventure to help save the people of Mirkwood and her heart. BETTER THAN IT SOUNDS!!
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or Legolas or anything from the books or movies!  
  
Readers: I do hope you enjoy this story. I have put a lot of thought into it and I hope you like it. This is my first story of Fanfiction and I do except criticism, but constructive criticism that will help my writing. But please do review!!! Thank you!! Primula Brandybuck!! btw, this is set before the movies ever came out.  
  
The Painting  
  
Chapter 1-The Wish.....  
  
The enormous suitcase sitting beside gave her little room or any at all. She knew if she tried to move it again, Clark would yell back at her again as a little child. How did she get stuck here in the first place? She wondered to herself for the fortieth time during the ride. Joey left the United States to New Zealand hoping this long planned trip would smooth over the bumps in her relationship with Clark Toey. Three weeks ago, Joey knew that this trip would solve their problems that they were facing. She held her hopes high when she found a receipt form a jewelry store that cost over 20 hundred. It had to be a ring, Joey thought again. Clark and Joey had been together for little more over 10 months and have been living together for 6 months in Clark's condo south of L.A. Joey had no doubt in her mind that Clark had finally came to the idea of marriage.  
  
Joey sighed again. Her dreams would finally be able to come true. After her previous relationships, when Joey got together with Clark, she made a vow to do everything in her will to please him. There was only one time did Joey defy Clark. That time was three weeks ago. He wanted to go to his executive's cocktail party alone. But Joey insisted that she go along and meet his new boss, that she still had to be introduced to. When she screamed that she wanted to go, he hit her hard in the face and left on a rampage out of the house. He came home that night and crawled into bed. Not giving her an apology, but waiting for hers. When he did hear the small apology from her lips, he gave her the consent to sleep with the radio on. The car bumped it's way over the grassy hills of New Zealand. It came to a stop at a little way side.  
  
"Joey, I need some caffeine to keep me awake. I didn't get any sleep last night on the account of you moving the entire time," Clark growled, sitting in the driver's seat.  
  
"Sorry. I'll go get it," she pushed the suitcase beside her so she could clime out of the car.  
  
"I want diet!" he shouted after her. Joey moved towards the red brick building looking for some change in her purse. With the coins in her hand, she put them into the slot and was about to press the button for a soda when something caught her eye. On all the walls, were paintings of some fairy tale creatures. But the one that caught her eye the most was the one on the far left side wall, the one with a prince on top of a white horse in a dark forest. Dazed by it, Joey took a step closer to it.  
  
The painting held a man, with long golden blonde hair with a very handsome face, riding upon a white magnificent horse through a dark green forest. Something about this picture jolted Joey. Down in the left hand corner of the painting, in small printing, Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood . Legolas? what a strange name Joey thought, but there was something familiar about it. She was jerked out of her thoughts from a loud car horn from the parking lot. Remembering where she was, Joey quickly punched one of the selections, grabbed the soda can that fell, and ran out to the car to Clark. When Joey handed the soda to Clark through to open window, he growled.  
  
"I told you I wanted a Diet."  
  
"huh?," Joey looked down on the can she had. It wasn't the diet he wanted. "oh! I am sorry Clark, I'll go get you another one."  
  
"Don't bother. I have enough time waiting for you. I hope you have a nice trip." With that said, Clark shifted the car into drive and sped off back down the highway. Stunned, Joey stood standing there for twenty minutes with the can in her hand for thirty minutes. When she saw the last car go by the rest area and it wasn't Clark, she went back into the building and sat on a bench, underneath the painting she was earlier fascinated by. It finally came to Joey what happened, Clark left her.  
  
Filled with regret and sorrow, Joey laid her head in her hands and cried. Her sobs racked through the rest area building. She had failed again. Her sisters would laugh and snicker at her when she came home with her tail between her legs. Joey had a feeling that Clark wouldn't be coming back to get her and she was left with only two dollars in her purse. She didn't have her credit cards with her, Clark always kept them. He wanted her to manage her money and the only way to do that was to have him hold the credit cards. Her passport was still in her car, along with all her clothes and necessities.  
  
But most of all, Joey cried because her heart was broken once again. With her tears and loud sobs escaping her throat, Joey wished out loud, "If only my prince would save me..." 


	2. Meeting for the First Time

A note to Readers: I surely hope that all who read would send me a reply!! And thank you to the one that did!!~ PrimulaBrandybuck  
  
Chapter 2: Meeting for the First Time Her reckless cries never ceased. Joey could have been sitting there five days and not have noticed until there was a strange distance noise behind her. She turned her head slightly, but before she could see the source of the noise, a bright white light flashed behind her.  
  
Joey covered her eyes from the blinding light. As quickly as it had come, it was gone again. Slowly, Joey removed her hands away from her eyes and looked at what stood before her. What she saw, made her giggle then laugh the loudest in her 27 years.  
'Couldn't anyone get any sleep around here?' Legolas thought to himself, turning over in the stiff mattress in his quarters. They have been traveling for a little more over a week and already Legolas was starting to miss home just a little bit. The smell of the ocean still amazed him but he missed the pine smell of the woods in Mirkwood. A year earlier, Legolas and Gimli had started to work on the ship with help. They had remained the best of friends after the war of the ring. Legolas marveled the caves, while Gimli got lost in the woods countless of times. Legolas's father, the King of Mirkwood, died of a spider attack in the woods just after Legolas had returned home from fighting the war of the ring. Knowing that he would not be staying in Mirkwood long, Legolas gave up his right to be king and turned it over to his father's top advisor. Legolas left the dense woods of Mirkwood and never returned after that. "Cannot an elf get some rest!" Legolas grumbled again. He sat up in his small bed and then stood up hitting his head on the ceiling, once again. Curse Gimli a thousand times, Legolas thought. The dwarf had to have known this was too small for an elf! Once his head stopped hurting, he started to walk to the door when everything around him started to spin. Turning to grip anything in his reach to steady himself, a bright white light flashed in front of him. The next he knew, he heard the sounds of a woman crying then laughing. Looking up, Legolas saw the most strangest, yet beautiful at the same time, woman, if she could be called that, standing before him, laughing.  
It's him! from the painting! was all that was going into her mind as she laughed. She was going insane and she knew it. Her laughing slowly turned into crying once again. She looked up once again and found the man still standing there. He was well over six feet tall and extremely fit. His pale long blonde hair was tide in a half ponytail with little braids on the side. It would looked ridiculous on anyone else, but on him, it fit him perfect. His clothes were another thing. Very old fashion, medieval style. But it wasn't his height, clothes, or hair that silenced her crying when she had gotten her look at him, it was his eyes. Never had she seen such eyes as deep blue as his.  
  
Legolas took a few seconds in registering what was in front of him. The woman looked fairly young around 25 or so. She had a small build, not over 5'6''. Her hair was what stuck out the most about her, curly fiery red hair with light green eyes that showed her laughter. When her laughing went to cry and then ceased, was when Legolas first spoke to her.  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
Laughing a shaky laugh, Joey ran her hand through her hair. "Look, mister, I have had a very bad day. If you want to find someone who will fall for your 'entertainment' of the 15th century, do it to someone else. I do not have the time for your games." Puzzled, Legolas asked, "Games? No, I believe I am lost. I was on a ship made by my own hands and my partner's, Gimli, the dwarf." "I don't care. Please leave me alone," Joey told him again. She was about to turn around when she saw his ears. They were pointed. Even more puzzled by the look on her face, Legolas said, "What?" "Huh? Oh! Well nothing could ever be wrong! I am having the best day of my life. I get dumped in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but two dollars. Then a guy comes along all dressed up in medieval clothing with pointy ears, claiming he is lost and he came from a ship!" "Then if you don't want to help me find my way, then I will ask someone else who will be able to assist me. I am sorry for causing any discourage to you madam," with a slight bow, Legolas walked away and out of the building, having no clue where to go. Joey sighed and admitted she shouldn't have been so rough on him. He didn't know she was having the worst day. Feeling even guiltier, Joey walked out of the building to apologize. "Sir, I am sorry I-.." Joey started to say, but it ended up in a scream. Legolas turned towards her as she was starting to speak and then he heard her scream. The next thing he knew, he was lying on the muddy ground and a notorious red head was on top of him.  
  
Joey took a deep breath to clear her thoughts. The idiot had walked straight out on the high way, almost getting hit by a tour bus. When she saw had seen him in the middle of the road and the bus traveling straight at him, she acted quickly by throwing her self on him to knock him out of the bus's path way. "You idiot!" she screamed once she got her breath back. "You could have been killed!" "I. was . I didn't know that thing was coming towards me. I didn't hear or see it," Legolas stammered. "Look both ways next time. I won't be there to save you again, got it?" Joey pushed her self off of him and stood on her own two feet. "What is your name by the way?" "Legolas Greenleaf, I am the Prince of Mirkwood and that reminds me, could you point me the way to Mirkwood?" Joey looked down at the man still laying on the ground. He didn't his head that hard, did he? She thought. No, he's just has to be one of them psychos, but then, she thought as she looked into his eyes, maybe he was telling the truth. Mirkwood, she had never heard such a place. Wait! She had, in a book. When she was a teen, she had read the beloved Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. Mirkwood was the kingdom of the wood-elves in the woods of Mirkwood. Could this man be from Mirkwood? Let alone be the prince of Mirkwood? She thought hard on her knowledge of LOTR. Then it finally hit her, he was one of the fellowship with Frodo Baggins! He was the elf! He had pointy ears and the clothes to go along with him. Could she really believe it was him? "Ok, let's say you are Legolas the Prince of Mirkwood, how did you get here?" Legolas stood up from the muddy ground. "I was hoping you could tell me that." Joey swallowed. "Then you have any idea why you were sent here." Legolas shook his head. "Do you have any idea where you are?" Again Legolas shook his head. "I do think this going to take some time." Legolas look relieved. "Then you will help me?" "Yes, I am feeling guilty of tossing you away and you're in need of help, as am I," Joey replied. "Then I thank you Miss?" Legolas asked. "Joey. My name is Joey Nimrodel," she held out her hand to shake, but instead of shaking her hand, Legolas gently lifted it to his lips and placed a sweet soft kiss on top of her outstretched hand. Shocked, Joey withdrew her hand. "What is the first thing on our list, Joey?" Legolas asked. "A place to stay. I know there is a little bed and breakfast up ahead in a town. It's not too far. Only a two-hour walk," Joey said in disgust. "Then we must get moving, for the sun is going to be setting soon." Legolas started walking to the left. "Legolas!" Joey shouted at him. Once he turned around she said, "The town is this way." She pointed her arm to the right. A bit embarrassed, Legolas walked back to her. "If you don't mind Legolas, we need to come up with another name for you. Then no one would think you were actually Legolas, from Mirkwood. We don't want to attract a crowd. The less people know about you, the better. We need to keep this between ourselves," Joey thought some more. "I have it! Your name will just be a nickname, but it will keep your true identity secret, Leo." "Leo?" spat Legolas. "That's horrible. I will not be called anything other than my given name!" Sighing, Joey replied, "Don't be difficult! Just let it be Leo! It works and no one will think twice at it." A growl rising within his throat, Legolas shook his head. "If you cannot call me Legolas, then call me by my title, Prince, sire, my lord, anything but Leo." "You will never hear me call you any of them. You may be a prince but here, your rank doesn't matter. Not to me, and certainly not to anyone else," Joey shot back. "Then I will call you a more proper, suitable name then what you are called. Josephina will be what I call you. Joey, is a disgrace of a name." Fuming, Joey turned and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. "Joey, is the name I was given at birth. Joey, is the name of my late grandmother, whom I dearly loved." With that said, she bunched her right fist and punched Legolas right in the nose. 


End file.
